Shipping dock board



Sept. 21, 1943. G. RYDNER SHIPPING DOCK BOARD Filed Aug. 25, 1941 ntor , I Save I, lllnm s a mf 3 Q (Ittornegs &

Patented Sept. 21, 1943 SHIPPING DOCK BOARD Gustaf Rydner, Detroit, Micln, assignorto General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 25, 1941, Serial No. 408,199

8 Claims.

This invention relates to dock boards of the type used to span the floor gap between spaced floor structures. The ordinary plank to enable freight to be trucked between the freight car ative heights of floor structures with which the dock board is used and also accommodates tilting of the car floor under changing load, thereby assuring a substantially continuous even surface for rolling trucks freely between the loadand the dock platform is laid across the intering dock and freight car. vening space with opposite edges resting on the The high and low level spaced apart floor two floor structures. Unless such edges bear structures or platforms are indicated at I and directly on the floor surfaces they obstruct and 2 and either can be considered as being a freight interfere with smooth wheeling of the truck and dock, a warehouse or the like and the other. as constitute stumbling hazards and are likely thembeing, for example, a motor carrier or a freight selves to become damaged and short-lived. If car spotted on a railroad siding. The dock board metal plates are used the edges tend to curl and bridging the intervening space consists essenrufiie, but in any event, one or the other plank tially of a metal plate 3 having spaced structural edge is bound to be higher than the floor surface stiifening ribs 4-4 welded on its underside. Upwhenever the two floor structures are of unequal standing side walls defining the width of the pasheight or if the freight car sways on its supsageway afforded by the dock board and comporting springs under the load of the truck passprising metal rails 5-5 are welded on the upper ing over the plank on entering or leaving the car. face and along opposite ends of the plate 3. Each It is among the objects of the present invenside wall 5 has an extension 5a projectingbeyond tion to provide an improved dock board which the edge of the plate 3 adjacent the high level compensates for rocking of the railroad car and floor structure i and the lower edge of the prowhich will promote safety by eliminating the jecting extension 5a is straddled by a U-seclikelihood of upwardly projecting edges under tioned bearing foot 6 secured thereto by a fulwhich a workmans foot might be crushed. crum pin I. To accommodate adjustment of A further object is to provide a dock board the bearing shoe 6 on its rock pin 1 the lower which is especially adapted foruse with spaced edge of the supporting bracket arm extension 5a floor structures located at or deflected to difis notched or cut away as at 8 and provides ferent levels and which can be quickly and safely necessary clearance for a fairly wide range of positioned and then held against creeping and relative movement called for by platform height displacement and which regardless of differences variations in difierent installations. The bearin or the cant of floor levels, obviates the beforeing shoe 6 on the overhanging extension 5a rests mentioned difficulties with raised edges and inflat against the upper surface of the high level sures a, substantially continuous unbroken truckfloor structure I and suspends the inclined ramp ing surface from floor to floor. plate over the opening between the floor struc- Other objects and advantages will become aptures I and 2 with its edge substantially flush parent during the course of the following speciwith the floor surface. flcation having reference to the accompanying If the spaced floor structures should be of drawing wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view equal height either may be engaged by the showing the dock board in use; Figure 2 is a rocker shoes, but otherwise the rocker shoes plan view of the dock board and-Figure 3 is a 40 should be rested on the higher floor with the detail section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1. opposite edge resting on the lower floor. By Inwgeneral the drawing illustrates a bridging .having the dock board suspended at one edge ramp between different level floor structures with only it can bridge any size space as long as its one edge resting on the lower level floor strucopposite edge overhangs its supporting floor. ture and with p tandin u de wa s along th 6 To strengthen the joint between the side wallsides, each of which projects beyond the oppo- 5 and floor plate 3 in the region where the greatsite d f t e ramp p at wh r it is fulest load will be transmitted therebetweenasu crumed in a bearing rocker shoe which e t plemental tie connection 9 may be used in the on the surface of the upper level floor structure form of a U-shaped clip having its end flanges tosuspend the ramp plate with its adjacent edge fitted to the top edge of the Wall 5 and underbeside the edge of the higher floor structure and surface of the plate and welded to both. the top surfaces of the plate and floor structure A rail in is welded on the underside of the substantially in line. The pivoted rocker shoe plate 3 adjacent the suspended edge to provide automatically compensates for variations in relan abutment co-operable with the floor structure I for locating purposes and to prevent displacement of the plate. Similarly a locating abutment may be provided along the opposite edge of the dock plate for engagement with the lower floor structure 2 so as to hold the dock board against creeping. This last mentioned locater preferably is in the form of one or more headed pins, ll insertable selectively through any of a series of spaced openings I2 extending through the dock board and a co-operating plate 13 welded on the upper face near the end of the board. The provision of a number of spaced locating openings l2 enables positioning of the locating pins II in accordance with the distance across the floor gap. To prevent accidental misplacement and loss of the pins, each is secured as by welding or the like to one end of a flexible chain l4 whose opposite end is secured near the top edge of an adjacent side wall 5.

Near each end the plate 3 is provided with openings, only one of which is shown as at l5, each opening being bridged by a pin l6 welded or otherwise secured on the underside of the plate. Also welded on the underside of the plate at the Opening illustrated is one end of a flexible chain I! of appropriate length whose free end terminates in a hook I8. Normally the hook I8 is suspended on the pin I 6 adjacent the anchored end of the chain with the intermediate part of the chain hanging below the loading dock. This enables the hook to be picked up in the hand easily to pull the chain up through the opening. The purpose of the chain is to facilitate transferring the dock board from one place to another and when it is to be so carried the chain hook I8 is then engaged with the pin it of the other plate opening, spaced from the anchored end of the chain, so that the intermediate portion of the chain between its fixed end and hooked end is then located above the plate and affords a grab loop which can be picked up by the elevator of a conventional industrial lift truck for suspending the dock plate during its transfer.

I claim:

1. A dock board adapted to occupy the space between two floor structures and provide a connecting runway, comprising a bridging skid plate arranged at one edge to end short of and flush with an adjacent floor structure, a floor engaging and load sustaining bearing block, an outrigger rigid with the plate to overhang said floor structure and a fulcrumed Weight transmitting connection supporting the outrigger directly in the bearing block.

2. .A dock board for use between a loading dock floor and a carrier floor including a load sustaining bearer chair adapted to rest on one of said floors, a plate supporting bracket having a projecting end portion supported from the floor by said chair, a weight transmitting fulcrum connection between the bracket and the chair and askid plate mounted on the bracket beyond the chair so that its edge will lie parallel to and beside the edge of said floor with its top surface substantially flush with the floor surface.

3. A removable ramp board for use with the edge of a floor structure to form a temporary flush extension of the floor including a ramp plate terminating in an edge adapted to lie beside and to end short of and in non-overlapping relation to the edge of the floor structure, plate supporting extensions at both sides of the plate projecting beyond said edge to overlie the floor structure in spaced relation with the top thereof, floor engaging load sustaining pads beneath said extensions and axle pins connecting the extensions and pads and constituting fulcrum supports for the ramp plate.

4. A removable ramp board for use with the edge of a floor structure to form a temporary flush extension of the floor including a ramp plate terminating in an edge adapted to lie beside and to end short of and in non-overlapping relation to the edge of the floor structure, upstanding barrier walls at the opposite sides of the plate, each having an end portion extending beyond said plate edge and a pivoted plate suspension chair carried by each end portion to rest on the floor structure and to support said end portion clear of the floor.

5. A dock board to bridge the space between two floor structures located at different levels, including a floor plate having one edge resting on the lower level floor structure and its opposite edge suspended beside and ended short of the edge of the upper level floor structure, plate supporting Outriggers projecting beyond the last mentioned plate edge in overlying spaced relation above the floor surface and having axle pins journaled therein, load sustaining chairs mounted on said axle pins to engage the upper level floor and locating abutments depending from the underside of the floor plate along both of its opposite edges for contact with said floor structures to resist horizontal plate displacement.

6. The structure of claim 5 where at least one of said locating abutments is adjustably mounted on the plate to fit the space presented between the floor structures.

7. In a dock board for use between spaced floor structures of different height, a bridging plate one of whose edge portions is adapted to overlap and rest on the lower floor structure with the other edge portion ending short of and adjacent the edge of the other floor structure, a supporting outrigger secured to the bridging plate and projected beyond the last mentioned edge portion for overhanging relation with the upper floor structure, a load sustaining rocker chair having a fulcrum bearing connection with the floor overhanging portion of the outrigger and being arranged to rest on the upper floor structure, and an adjustable locating abutment depending from the underside of the plate to engage the edge of the lower floor structure, said plate having a series of spaced openings for selective reception of said abutment as determined by the space between the floor structures and said abutment serving to prevent displacement of the load sustaining rocker chair from the upper floor structure.

8. In a dock board of the character described, a space bridging plate having a cable passage therethrough, a hook engaging formation on the plate in spaced relation to said opening, a flexible cable having one end secured below the plate at said opening and normally suspended beneath the plate, and a hook at the free end of the cable engageable with a retainer accessible through said passage, said hook and cable being arranged to be withdrawn upwardly through the passage and to be connected with said hook engaging formation in afl'ording a grab loop.

GUSTAF RYDNER. 

